Did Patriots Drop Drew for Gun-Related Record?

bostonherald.com reports that the “gun shy” New England Patriots have dropped former Duke defensive tackle John Drew from training camp and cancelled his contract. Pigskin pundits reckon the Pats were put off by Drew’s firearms-related past. In 2010, Durham cops arrested Drew and two teammates for firing a gun into the air on campus. The Blue Devils turfed all three players. Drew plead out—most likely losing his legal right to keep and bear arms for the rest of his life—and finished his college career at North Carolina Central. While the press points to the Pats’ problems with suspected murderer Aaron Hernandez and play the connect-the-dots with Drew’s criminal record, it’s far more likely . . .

Coach Bill Belichick’s boyz didn’t think Drew could get it done. I suspect that Belichick will say so at today’s 2pm (EST) press conference, then make some kind of statement about the Pat’s desire to field a team filled with players as pure as driven snow. Subject to their ability to win.

The “Drew’s gun crimes come back to haunt him” thing makes a better story though—especially if you’re Bob Costas.

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Robert, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask that you back up this assertion. I do not have any reason to believe NFL franchises have any such “1 through X” ranking system. Players are “ranked” based on the position they play, not any ranking within the team at large.

Drew is a defensive tackle. I imagine the situation is that he was ranked by the coaching staff as last among defensive tackles in training camp. Let’s say the Patriots believe they will keep five DTs on their squad come opening day. It could be four or six, who knows? But for whatever reason(s), they decided to keep another DT and “disinvite” Drew.

Was his firearms past involved in the decision? Probably, but their decision is theirs to make, and theirs alone. And NOT because he was ranked “90th on the squad”. No such ranking exists, or has ever existed.

When any team fills it’s ranks with young, pumped-up, troubled players, hands them a huge wad of cash, gives them access to booze tears are sure to follow. That is the state of big league sports today, it’s all about Stuff, honorable behavior is sneered at

Sometimes, you get fired because of discrimination. Sometimes, you get fired for being a shithead. Not saying either applies in this case, but it’s something to ponder as you fill out applications for a new job.